hamster bites

Question
Do all teddy bear hamsters bite when you let them sniff you?
and How do you stop hamster bites?

Answer
Dear Rhond,
thank you for your question.
Unless they are (or have been) treated badly or woken up during the day, Syrian hamsters don't bite as a rule. When your fingers smell like food, they make take a bite, but will let go immediately. A real hamster bite will draw blood, the food bites mostly don't even break the skin.

Always speak to the hamster before touching it and don't come from above or behind. They don't see very well and may bite when you surprise them, especially when the hamster is not tame. Wash your hands when you have handled food, although I wouldn't use scented soap, most rodents seem to find that unpleasant. Wait until the hamster has woken up by itself and give it some time to eat something, explore the cage a bit ect.

A cage that is too small may also lead to aggression because the hamster defends his territory and unfortunately, most storebought cages are too small for Syrians, especially Rotastack and similar cages because they don't have the uninterrupted floor space the hamster needs.

I hope I was of some help to you
Jennifer